FSB reports prison sentences for 39 Russians in arson and sabotage cases

Courts sentenced 39 residents of 17 Russian regions to between 10 and 26 years in prison in arson and planned sabotage cases, the FSB’s public relations centre said on October 9.

The security service said the convicted people were born between 1995 and 2010. It linked their cases to arson attacks on aircraft, transport and communications facilities, and plans to sabotage railway infrastructure.

The FSB alleged that Ukrainian intelligence services recruited them through Telegram groups offering opportunities to earn money quickly. After assignments were carried out, the agency said, handlers either blocked the participants’ accounts or paid significantly less than promised.

The agency also described offers of large payments, help avoiding criminal liability and assistance leaving the country. It said recruiters did not fulfil those promises. The account of recruitment and the offences comes from the Russian security service’s statement, which Interfax also reported.